-o-This chapter is dedicated to my friendalisha, Dizappearingirl, because we made a covenant that we'd both update our chapters by Sunday. I was totally done with this at ten-thirty, but the website was too busy to log me on even until two hours later, so I gave up. Dizgirl, feel free to make major fun of me! hangs head in shame Oh well. Here it is! Hope you likey!
Title: Sungi Horn
Characters:Zuko, Leiutenant Jee, Iroh
Rating: PG
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Lieutenant Jee liked to walk the deck of the ship when everyone else was sleeping. He enjoyed being alone with his ship and the stars—it gave him a meditative sense of relief from the day's pressures. He had become so accustomed to his solitude during these late night jaunts that when he heard a noise on deck he was certain that it was an intruder. After all, who else would be sneaking around the ship at midnight? With fire tingling in his fingertips, the captain peered over the edge of the railing to discover exactly who was interrupting his privacy.
Jee was startled to find that it was Zuko, and even more surprised to see the newly acquired sungi horn wrapped around his body. The lieutenant watched with curiosity as the proud Fire Nation prince brought the instrument to his lips and blew, expecting the flat, flatulent sound that he had come to associate with that particular sungi horn. (Iroh may have been a music lover, but his ability to choose quality instruments –and even worse, to play them--was definitely sub par.) Instead, a rich, full tone filled the night air, then faded away longingly into the moonlight. Compounding Jee's amazement, Zuko actually grimaced, as if that beautiful note was repugnant to him. The narrow neck of the brass instrument turned red with heat and the silent observer slowly realized that one could use metallurgy to tune brass instruments made by the Fire Nation. Jee was a four-stringed pipa player himself (an instrument of Earth Kingdom origins), but had enough musical training to recognize beauty and skill when he heard it. When Zuko began playing, the ship's captain was blown away at the young man's talent. No wonder he never attended Music Night-- while the crew's attempts at music were laughable to Jee, they were probably painful to a musician such as the one playing before him. The raw emotion in the prince's music swept him up and away into memories he hadn't even realized he'd kept. Memories of his mother, his wife…so hypnotized by the swells of the music, Lieutenant Jee did not notice that someone else had joined him in his observations.
"He has a beautiful singing voice, too."
"G..General Iroh."
The older man indicated the young prince, who was still too caught up in his playing to notice he was being watched.
"His mother taught him. I got it hoping he would join the men for music night, but…" he trailed off. In the silence, a particularly poignant note swelled in the air before them, turning a familiar Fire Nation song about longing for home into a lesser known one about passion.
"I never knew." Jee finally responded when words came again. "I suppose all Fire Nation royalty are schooled in music."
"Traditionally, yes. Music is one of the few things Zuko actually picked up better than his sister." Jee stifled a laugh, trying to imagine the cruel princess trying to sing. "He loves to play, but he doesn't realize how good he is."
The captain's mirth faded, remembering Azula's talent for finding the insults that cut the deepest. No doubt when her music teachers criticized her work, she retaliated by undermining her brother's confidence in his skills. He couldn't imagine Fire Lord Ozai as approving his son's talent either; not when it took him away from time he could have spent fire bending and getting stronger. That he could pick up an instrument he had probably not played for years and produce such beautiful melodies proved that music coursed through his blood just as evidently as fire did. Zuko's sungi horn performance was intimately revealing about his past, even more so than the stories his uncle shared when he was locked away in his room. For the second time, pity towards Zuko welled up in Jee's bosom. No young man should possess a talent like this without being praised for it. With a deep breath, Lieutenant Jee left Iroh's side and prayed he wasn't doing something very stupid.
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Zuko paused his playing, catching his breath after an especially intense piece. The sungi horn was often called an instrument of memories, and in his mind it was irrevocablly attatched to his mother. As he played, memories of a much pleasanter childhood floated through his mind, transfusing themselves with the music and becoming one with the night. Zuko knew that Iroh had bought the sungi horn as a bribe for him to become more social; even so, since his uncle had brought it on the ship it had called out to him, begging to be played. Finally he had consented.
He was startled to hear a noise behind him, having believed that he alone was awake. The familiar shame at being caught playing evidenced itself as an embarrassed, flushed, guilty look on his face. He turned to find Lieutenant Jee standing with the four-stringed pipa Zuko had noted he was adept at, and an odd expression in his eyes. Before Zuko could react, the older man sat down and began fine-tuning the strings.
"Do you know 'Four Seasons?" He asked with forced nonchalance. "It has a very nice sungi horn and pipa duet."
Zuko nodded numbly, scanning his memory for the notes that he had learned years ago. After a deep breath, he pressed his lips against the mouthpiece to begin the song. They exchanged very few words, choosing instead to communicate with their instruments. When the list of songs they both knew ran out, they began improvising, pulling the notes as if it were from the air itself.
With only the stars as their witness, Lieutenant Jee and Prince Zuko played late into the night, and three fire benders on an exiled prince's ship let themselves be caught up in the spell of moonlight, sea, and song.
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-O- Comments on this chapter: Okay, Hated the writing, LOVED the idea. Go watch "Zuko's Path by atropia on Youtube. That's where I got the idea for the sungi horn/pipa duet. Amazing! It makes sense to me that Zuko would learn an instrument, (being royal and all) and I LOVE the idea of him being a great musician. Azula on the other hand, is somewhat of a one-trick-pony, and I think that what makes her a great fire bender would prevent her from really connecting to the music. Can you tell I'm a musician? Yeah. Anyway, Zuko was more surprised than outraged when Iroh bought it during the water bending scroll episode. Okay, now I'm just talking too much. I studied waaay too well for this chapter, even if it sucks! Review and I'll love you forever! Thanks! -O-